FA Cup Rule Changes

[Bartonyellow]

From next season (24-25 ) fa cup replays will be scrapped. This is to aid the premier league teams and fixture congestion.
Also earlier rounds will be played mid week.
Thoughts ?
I think it’s a pisstake. If they want one game only in the cup, give the lower ranked team the opportunity to choose whether they want it at home (better chance to win )or away ( for the gate receipts ).
Also fa cup final day will be played on a regular Saturday when other fixtures are been played.

FA Cup set for biggest ever shake-up as replays and showpiece weekend final axed

A potential deal with the Premier League could force the FA Cup to endure mass changes that includes the scrapping of replays and major tweaks to the regular calendar

www.mirror.co.uk

 

[Si Robin]

If the FA follow through with this then they're effectively signing their own death warrant.

On history alone, the FA Cup is the greatest competition there is, how they fail with it so much is completely beyond me.

And don't tell me clubs don't care about it - just because some pathetic clubs at the bottom of the Premier League don't, it should tar the rest of English football with it. Also, there's been one final since 1973 that hasn't included one of the "Big 6", so clearly they care about it as well.

 

[kieran_vale]

Just a further power grab from the Premier League unfortunately there’s nothing we can do about it.

Cliche but I still believe in the “magic of the cup” and all that. Some of the best moments supporting Vale have come in this competition. Shame to see the FA so complicit in killing it off.

 

[Bartonyellow]

Always annoyed me that when they divvy up the winnings, the fa cup winners get a million. The losers get half of that.
Why not divide it up in the early rounds as a higher prize pot ? ( before the first round ).
The non league clubs need it more than the likes of Man City.

 

[Marked Ox]

Obviously it won't happen, the easiest way to raise the FA Cup profile is for the winners to get a Champions Lg spot as it would get the attention of the top clubs then. And at least they'd have won something unlike 4th in the PL.

The changes are rubbish but they will happen either then or later.

 

[denzel ecfc]

Like Vale, some of our best moments as a club have come in the FA Cup. And many of the best moments like in 1981, and 2005 have been at replays.
If this does go ahead I can see a massive backlash.

 

[BigDaveCUFC]

I personally agree with the change, do like idea from initial poster of Lower league side hetting choice of home or away advantage but it seems a little American.

All that really winds me up on these decisions is they get done for fixture congestion then next minute they add 10 extra champs league games or 2-3 friendlies abroad to rubbish the ‘benefit of players’ claim

 

[Bartonyellow]

I personally agree with the change, do like idea from initial poster of Lower league side hetting choice of home or away advantage but it seems a little American.

All that really winds me up on these decisions is they get done for fixture congestion then next minute they add 10 extra champs league games or 2-3 friendlies abroad to rubbish the ‘benefit of players’ claim

And let’s not forget they only play 38 games not 46.

 

[denzel ecfc]

And when they have a two week winter break they fit in a game in Qatar..

 

[valefan16]

Its sad and devalues it further, when I was a kid in the 90's the whole final day was dedicated to the final on TV, the build up etc and you remember watching the games, Rideout's winner was my first final I recall for Everton in 95, King Eric rifling home late on against Liverpool etc but now its a bit meh.

You could have a team winning the title the same day as the final.

As said the glory days for clubs like ours, beating Spurs, Everton, Derby and Southampton in the late 80's and 90's when they were top flight sides, being a penalty shoot out away from changing history and knocking eventual double winners Arsenal out in the 3rd round in 98, since I have been going Vale, Tom Pope's equaliser in 2020 at the Etihad with 8000 of us there was one the great "mentals"

Further back getting to the Semi Finals in 54 beating Blackpool who were holders with Sir Stanley Matthews and I believe becoming the first third tier side to make the semi's before being robbed in a controversial semi final against West Brom is stuff of legend and I am sure most clubs have similar stories at our level that are part of the fabric and history of these clubs.

But who cares as long as the big boys get their wish I guess...

Bet they will want extra time though to avoid these plucky sides getting a draw and going straight to the lottery of penalties and potentially knocking them out!

 

[Bartonyellow]

We drew with man united in 2006 at home.
The replay was on bbc1.
The gate was nearly 60,000.( we took believe it or not 11,200)
We made a lot of money that set us up for league football - without that replay we would probably have lost on penalties and then be deprived of the opportunity of the cash and the exposure. Who knows, maybe we would still be rattling around the conference now.
Im sure it’s the same for Exeter who did exactly the same thing with their replay. It sets clubs up for years.
Why change it because some overseas owners don’t give a shit ?
When all these Middle East owners get bored and disappear - what’s left ?
I hope they all fall flat on their faces. We will remind them of what they wanted.

 

[valefan16]

It feels inevitable i guess since the Conference League was introduced as now you have more middling Premier League Clubs playing potentially 10-15 more games but why not just scrap the League Cup instead.

 

[denzel ecfc]

We drew with man united in 2006 at home.
The replay was on bbc1.
The gate was nearly 60,000.( we took believe it or not 11,200)
We made a lot of money that set us up for league football - without that replay we would probably have lost on penalties and then be deprived of the opportunity of the cash and the exposure. Who knows, maybe we would still be rattling around the conference now.
Im sure it’s the same for Exeter who did exactly the same thing with their replay. It sets clubs up for years.
Why change it because some overseas owners don’t give a shit ?
When all these Middle East owners get bored and disappear - what’s left ?
I hope they all fall flat on their faces. We will remind them of what they wanted.

It was the original tie at Old Trafford that saved the club. The replay at SJP was just the icing on the cake, of course United had to wheel out Rooney and Ronaldo to make sure they got past us..

 

[shoddycollins]

Absolute pisstake. If every club below the Championship (and probably half the championship and Luton I'd imagine) boycotted the FA cup this year they'd soon so with that nonsense.

 

[Andy Proctor]

Scrapping replays is a mistake as that's an extra game or extra income for the club. Plus there's always 2 or 3 TV games aswell that you would lose through scrapping replays.

 

[Laker]

Its sad and devalues it further, when I was a kid in the 90's the whole final day was dedicated to the final on TV, the build up etc and you remember watching the games, Rideout's winner was my first final I recall for Everton in 95, King Eric rifling home late on against Liverpool etc but now its a bit meh.

You could have a team winning the title the same day as the final.

As said the glory days for clubs like ours, beating Spurs, Everton, Derby and Southampton in the late 80's and 90's when they were top flight sides, being a penalty shoot out away from changing history and knocking eventual double winners Arsenal out in the 3rd round in 98, since I have been going Vale, Tom Pope's equaliser in 2020 at the Etihad with 8000 of us there was one the great "mentals"

Further back getting to the Semi Finals in 54 beating Blackpool who were holders with Sir Stanley Matthews and I believe becoming the first third tier side to make the semi's before being robbed in a controversial semi final against West Brom is stuff of legend and I am sure most clubs have similar stories at our level that are part of the fabric and history of these clubs.

But who cares as long as the big boys get their wish I guess...

Bet they will want extra time though to avoid these plucky sides getting a draw and going straight to the lottery of penalties and potentially knocking them out!

Agree completely. Our peak as a club (in my opinion) was in 91/92 when we went top at Ipswich around November and ended up finishing 5th in the second tier.

But the two seasons before that we’d gained consecutive promotions and reached the quarter finals both years, losing to Palace (eventual runners up) and Arsenal (eventual league champions). Along the way we dispatched of Sheffield Wednesday 4-0 (promoted from the second tier), Middlesbrough, Wolves, Millwall etc all in leagues above us. Our older fans talk about our 5-1 demolition of Bristol City in a second…. Yes SECOND…. replay as being one of the best performances we’ve ever put in.

More recently in 2014/15 (our first season back in the league when we didn’t have a pot to piss in), we reached the fourth round and got Man U at home then took them to a replay. We made a ton of money out of that which would have safeguarded the club if Jez George and Shaun Derry hadn’t pissed it up the wall in our new toilet block.

Then two seasons ago we beat Newcastle at St James’ Park. The chances of us winning that day were slim at best despite their iffy start that season. But we earned the right to be there and to take that cash away.

Removing relays removes a lifeline for clubs like ours. It’s cash which has a seismic effect on clubs like ours. Our annual turnover when we played Man U over those two games was around £2.5m (from memory). We made over a million in those two games alone, aside from ticket sales and tv money we also sold half season tickets as incentives and creamed it in on merchandise, mascots, hospitality etc.

The premier league is so greedy. They should go down to 18 teams if they’re so worried about fixture congestion, there’s so much shit at the bottom of that league as it is. Take two teams out and voila! Four free match days straight away.

But please don’t take away the opportunities our clubs have to make dreams and safeguard our clubs. Many of us need replays.

 

[Luke Imp]

The televised FA Cup replays against Oldham, and then Ipswich, kickstarted our revival.

I've said many times that I think Club's should be able to what they do in the FA Trophy in the NL and decide between them if they want to replay the game or go to ET (or is it straight to pens?). Both teams have to agree to no replay.

It'll be another competition that the PL are sticking their neb in and used to blackmail the EFL.

 

[denzel ecfc]

Absolute pisstake. If every club below the Championship (and probably half the championship and Luton I'd imagine) boycotted the FA cup this year they'd soon so with that nonsense.

They probably wouldn't care, it would guarantee a top PL side final as per every season

 

[denzel ecfc]

But we earned the right to be there

Disagree on that. Never forget that fake goal...

 

[BRFC_Gas]

Don't care. Only have to worry about it for one game

 

[shoddycollins]

They probably wouldn't care, it would guarantee a top PL side final as per every season

But the whole story of thousands of teams being whittled down to one is their whole usp. They'd lose a lot of interest from fans if they did that.

 

[GTFCfish]

As a fan of a team who made the Quarter finals last year I can say that the magic of the cup is still very much alive despite those wankers attempts to devalue it.
I’ve been following GTFC since 1990 and that game away at Southampton to get us into the quarters is by far the best day I’ve ever had as a football fan, the enormity of what we’d achieved at the full time whistle took a long time to truly sink in and even though the drive home was awful as loads of roads were shut and we didn’t get back in until 5AM we didn’t give a shit as we were still buzzing from the euphoria of that night.
They can try all they like to ruin the FA Cup but our memories of it will last a lifetime.

 

[Laker]

Disagree on that. Never forget that fake goal...

Was miles onside. ;-)

 

[Chris FGR]

Why are the earlier rounds played in midweek? FA Cup 3rd round Saturday in is a real tradition.

 

[Super_horns]

Why are the earlier rounds played in midweek? FA Cup 3rd round Saturday in is a real tradition.

So are the other earlier rounds aren’t they?

Until the big clubs get their way.

If tiredness and fitting games into the schedule is an issue then don’t fly across the world on globe trotting Pre season tours ?!

There is even basically a mini Premier league tournament in the USA this summer .

 

[GTFCfish]

There is even basically a mini Premier league tournament in the USA this summer .

Yeah the list of teams in it are:
Liverpool
Man Utd
Chelsea
Arsenal
Man City
Spurs
and Wrexham.

 

[denzel ecfc]

Yeah the list of teams in it are:
Liverpool
Man Utd
Chelsea
Arsenal
Man City
Spurs
and Wrexham.

Of which I guarantee no one gives a monkeys who wins. Except Wrexham

 

[Chris FGR]

So are the other earlier rounds aren’t they?

Until the big clubs get their way.

If tiredness and fitting games into the schedule is an issue then don’t fly across the world on globe trotting Pre season tours ?!

There is even basically a mini Premier league tournament in the USA this summer .

I took 'early rounds' moving to midweek meaning from the 3rd round onwards? Why would the Prem clubs care about what happens before that.

 

[Bartonyellow]

Of which I guarantee no one gives a monkeys who wins. Except Wrexham

Oh yes. The media darlings that are Wrexham. That’s league 2 Wrexham.

 

[Super_horns]

I took 'early rounds' moving to midweek meaning from the 3rd round onwards? Why would the Prem clubs care about what happens before that.

Sorry thought you meant they already were like the 5th round is.

Quite agree - got to keep some tradition.

The PL don’t play on 4th round day if knocked out anyway and they’d soon moan about having another 3 game week if there were mid week FA cup games .